Website: www.cruiseweekly.com.au | Phone: 1300 799 220 | Fax: 1300 799 221 | Email: info@cruiseweekly.com.au Page 1

Thursday 19 July 2012

ALL THE CRUISE NEWS Today’s trade issue of Cruise Weeklyfeatures four pages jam packed with allthe latest cruise news.

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Australia is one of the maintarget markets for Uniworld’snew SS Catherine and SSAlexandra, launching in Europein 2014. UNIWORLD Boutique River Cruises isplanning to double its capacity in France withthe debut of the SS Catherine, to be modelledafter its existing French river vessel, the RiverRoyale. Another new ship, the SS Catherine, is set tosail on the Rhine, Main and Danube.John Molinaro, Uniworld’s general managerAustralia, told Cruise Weekly that the SSCatherine will be a sister ship to the line’saward-winning SS Antoinette, which waslaunched last year. “Catherine will look entirely different.” “Only the basic ship’s hull and layout are thesame, but we’re not revealing any other detailsyet – this is just a sneak peek,” he said. Both ships will be designed with the same“Red Carnation touches” used by Uniworld’ssister hotel company, he confirmed. According to Molinaro, Australia is expectedto be a major source market for the two new-builds. “Absolutely, France is extremely popular asan itinerary with our clients here, as well asthe Rhine and Danube,” he said. Uniworld has announced five new ships inthe past two years – also including the RiverSaigon and River Orchid on the Mekong andthe Queen Isabel in Portugal – in addition to itspartnerships with Century Legend and CenturyParagon in Asia, and a new route in Italy. Others in the fleet are currently undergoing

Unstoppable Uniworld adds two shipsmillion-dollar refurbishments ahead of the2013 season.“You can never have enough five-star ships,destinations and choice of itineraries,”Molinaro said. “We have the greatest amount of choice ofitineraries, with five-star ships spread outacross the world offering much more than theAmsterdam-to-Budapest route.” He urged travel agents to sell more Uniworldproduct and enjoy the high rate of returningpassengers. “Uniworld is one of the most widely awardedcruise lines in the world, because we stand byour motto: no request too large, no detail toosmall.”

Ponant Cruises all inclusive UPMARKET small-ship cruise operatorCompagnie du Ponant has announced asimplified fare structure, in which cruise priceswill include all meals, gratuities, port charges,taxes, fees and alcoholic drinks. The company said that under the new plansthe only additional charges passengers wouldincur would be optional excursions, transfersand personal expenses such as airfares. The change is effective immediately for allnew bookings, with the all inclusive offeringvalid for all ships and itineraries. Cabins will feature fully stocked mini-barsand 24 hour room service and fares alsoinclude a welcome cocktail party and allonboard entertainment options. At this stage the new structure has only beenannounced in North America, and it’s not clearwhat the local implications of the move are. Compagnie du Ponant is represented inAustralia by Travel The World.

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Thursday 19 July 2012

CruiseNews &Views

Masters AccreditationTHERE is still a small window ofopportunity for consultants to registerfor our 2012 Masters Conference, so Ithought it would be timely to share myresponse to a question I was askedrecently: How do I benefit by attendingthe ICCA Masters Conference? Every individual’s circumstances are alittle different but there are a number ofgreat reasons to become a Master CruiseConsultant (MCC) The MCC Accreditation is issued by theCruise Council on behalf of the CruiseLine Members of the association – thevery cruise lines that you are selling dayto day You are officially endorsed by thecruise industry body as the most qualifiedconsultant to be advising your clientsabout cruise holidays Achieving your MCC Accreditation willsee you joining an elite group ofconsultants across Australia and NewZealand that hold this qualification The skills gained through attendingthe Masters are uniquely referenced tothe cruise industry and will set you apartfrom your competitors You will gain the tools necessary topromote yourself and your agency as acruise specialist with the qualification toback your claim 80 per cent of Australia’s and NewZealand’s top cruise consultants nowhold Masters Accreditation You will receive priority listing in CruisePassenger Magazine’s agent listings Last but not least – your annual ICCAmembership fee will be reduced. The 2012 Masters Conference will takeplace on Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 during a7-night transatlantic voyage in October. For more information click on theMasters Conference tab from our homepage www.cruising.org.au

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The new head of the AsiaCruise Association has big plansto boost agent cruise trainingand to introduce new itineraries. In an exclusive interview with Cruise Weekly,Kevin Leong, appointed this month as ACA’sfirst full-time general manager, has outlined hisvision for Asian cruising. His top priority is to address the lack of“cruise qualified” staff in Asian travel agenciesthrough greater training opportunities acrossthe region. “The practice to date had been to useexisting events like Cruise Shipping Asia andSeatrade All Asia Cruise Convention to organisetraining sessions for travel agent attendees,”Leong said. “This will continue but I will be planning amore comprehensive training schedule thatwould provide regular training sessions invarious cities all over Asia.” ACA’s training would equip agents to sellcruises all over the world, not only in Asia, heconfirmed. “I believe once we’ve introduced Asians tothe joys of cruising, we’ll not be able to keepthem in the region. “Asia will become a major source market alsofor the other cruise regions in the world.” Leong’s other major focus is the promotionof Asia’s port development, with a view toexpand the range of itineraries to include callsat more islands, coastal cities and towns. “Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailandhave expressed interest in receiving morecruise ships,” he said. “In north Asia, the Chinese have been veryproactive in building cruise terminals, andHong Kong will open theirs next year.

Asia on track for cruising revolution “I would like to see two or three newitineraries from Singapore to aroundIndonesia, longer ones from Malaysia toVietnam via Thailand or Cambodia, itinerariesthat would connect the Philippines to EastMalaysia, and so on. “Also, cruises from Hong Kong to Vietnammight help to extend the summer season inNorth Asia,” he said. Leong, a former chair of the ASEAN CruiseWorking Group who spent 36 years with theSingapore Tourism Board, including six years inthe Sydney office, said it would be“wonderful” to see more cruising betweenAsia and Australia. “It may take some time, during which we willbe working on expanding the numbers of portsof call within South East Asia, but theIndonesians are already keen to link up withAustralia from Bali, and when that happens,cruise traffic to and fro will be a reality.”

Orion 2013 brochure out today ORION Expedition Cruises has released its2013 season brochure, offering 33 bespokefive to 20-night itineraries to 94 destinations. The program utilises the original, highlyacclaimed Orion vessel, with Orion II leavingthe fleet in November. The 2013 program offers expeditions toBorneo and Sulawesi, the Kimberley Coast, theGreat Barrier Reef, Melanesia, New Zealand,the Forgotten Islands of Sunda as well asPapua New Guinea and of course Antarctica. See orionexpeditions.com/ebrochure.

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Thursday 19 July 2012

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THE things you see at sea... Californian sun-lovers visiting San OnofreState Beach in Orange County have becomeaccustomed to the fairly unusual sight oftwo goats riding a surfboard. The animals’ owner, Dana McGregor,started taking them on his regular trips tocatch a wave and this week decided to putthem on a board. Goatee and Pismo managed to stayupright for a few waves, but eventually hadenough and swam to shore. The goat-surfing action has been capturedon a video which can now be viewed on ourwebsite at cruiseweekly.com.au/videos.

THERE’S no doubting the cruisingcommitment of Aussie billionaire ClivePalmer, who has this week unveiled more ofhis plans for a replica Titanic (CW 01 May). The proposed vessel, which is hoped to becruising by 2016, will not be exactly thesame as its namesake, with a special newsafety deck featuring “proper lifeboats.” “This is to ensure the vessel is fullycompliant with current regulations...it willalso increase the passenger amenity area ofthe vessel,” Palmer said. Public rooms, stairs and cabins will bereminiscent of the original Titanic and hewill also offer a casino. But when it comes to the cost of theproject, it appears the sky is the limit, withPalmer saying “all the money I’ve got is thebudget, so it should be enough”.

CroisiEurope into Asia MAJOR European river cruise operatorCroisiEurope is the latest river cruise firm toexpand into Indochina, with a new Mekongcruise program launching this week. The company is operating the Asian programunder the brand CroisiVoyages to distinguishits operations outside of Europe, which are setto also include new cruise ventures in Africa,India and Russia. CroisiVoyages has chartered the RVIndochine, a four star 24 ensuite cabin vessel inFrench Colonial Style which was constructedspecifically for the Mekong in 2008 with a lowsuperstructure and comparatively shallowdraft, allowing it to sail under low bridges. CroisiVoyages will operate a series of voyagesbetween Ho Chi Minh City and Angkor, withitineraries starting at A$2125 for an eight nightcruise plus two nights First Class hotelaccommodation in Siem Reap and all meals,including complimentary beer and soft drinks. Unlike cruise vessels operated by some othercompanies, the construction of the vesselallows RV Indochine to fit under a low bridgesouth of Saigon which sees it sail right into thecity through the Chao Gao canal which is ahighlight of the cruise. CroisiEurope is represented in Australia byCruise Abroad - more info 1300 669 369.

Avalon super suite savings AVALON Waterways is offering savings of$1000 per couple in conjunction with thelaunch of its 2013 Suite Ship brochure. Next year the fleet will grow from three tofive of the specially designed vessels whichoffer two full decks of all-suite accom and 30%more cabin space than the average competitor. The $1000 savings are on the inauguralsailings of the new Avalon Artistry II andAvalon Expression - info 1300 230 234.

Beyond Russian addition BEYOND Travel is offering a 12 day VolgaDream deluxe cruise tour which will operateyear round in 2013. It includes six nights on board the 56-cabinvessel plus touring and accom in Moscow andSt Petersburg from $3325ppts - 1300 363 554.

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Thursday 19 July 2012

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Cruise Weekly is Australia’s favourite online cruising publication.In production since 2007, Cruise Weekly is published each Tuesday,with a further travel industry update each Thursday.Cruise Weekly is free and is sent to subscribers via email as an AdobeAcrobat PDF document.Sign up for a free subscription at www.cruiseweekly.com.au.PO Box 1010, Epping, NSW 1710Phone: 1300 799 220 Fax: 1300 799 221

Cruise Weekly is a publication of Cruise Weekly Pty Ltd. All content fully protected by copyright. Please obtain written permission to reproduce any material. While every care has been taken in the preparation ofCruise Weekly no liability can be accepted for errors or omissions. Information is published in good faith to stimulate independent investigation of the matters canvassed. Responsibility for editorial comment is taken by Bruce Piper.

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Seabourn’s special guests CRUISERS sailing on Seabourn Quest’s 116-day World Quest next year will enjoy tenexceptional on-shore experiences during theirvoyage - such as afternoon tea in the members’enclosure at a Hong Kong racetrack, a desertsunset in the world’s highest restaurant inDubai’s Burj Khalifa, and a “privileged viewing”of the Panama Canal’s Miraflores Lock operation. The voyage departs Fort Lauderdale on 06Jan 2013 and includes 49 ports in the SouthPacific, Australia, Southeast Asia, India, Arabiaand the Mediterranean, where it wraps up inVenice on 03 May.

HAL welcomes Oosterdam THE upcoming down under deployment ofHolland America Line’s ms Oosterdam is a bigjump in local capacity for the cruise line - butthe market can easily support the larger vessel,says HAL director of sales, Tony Archbold. Oosterdam carries 1900 passengers, upabout 33% on the 1400-pax ms Volendamwhich will also return to Australasia this year. Volendam will conduct a circumnavigation ofAustralia, while Oosterdam will take over theline’s trans-Tasman and South Pacific program. Archbold told CW this week that “head officeis very happy” with the performance of thefledgling Australian operation, which has thisweek celebrated its first birthday. He said HAL has seen consistent growth outof Australia, with Aussie cruisers favouringvoyages in Europe and Alaska plus at home. Archbold said that there’s still significantpotential for travel agents to grow their cruisesales, with HAL offering a consistent popularproduct encouraging strong repeat business. “Lots of agents still aren’t selling cruise,” hesaid, with Holland America offerings such asSelect Sailings offer significant opportunitiesfor agents to differentiate themselves. HAL is also promoting its Alaska cruise-tourswhich combine land content and voyages inthe ever-popular destination for Aussies.

Blue Lagoon Cruises set for ‘re-invigoration’ A MAJOR deal in Fiji has seen the merger ofBlue Lagoon Cruises with South Sea Cruisesand Awesome Adventures, and while it’sbusiness as usual in most cases the companysays it has “exciting plans for re-invigoratingBlue Lagoon Cruises”. The new owner is investment company FijiHoldings Limited, with South Sea Cruisesowners Roger Dold and Chris Jacobs enteringinto a long term management agreement tocontinue to develop the businesses which willnow be majority owned by Fijians. South Sea Cruises has been part of the

Marine Tourism Holdings Group (MTH), andBlue Lagoon Cruises will now become part ofthe portfolio represented by the MTH networkof sales executives and GSAs. Jacobs said that Blue Lagoon is a “very verygood fit” with the existing business, saying thatfor now Blue Lagoon will continue to operateits brochured Yasawa cruises and a smoothtransition will be ensured when changes occur. “We are pretty sure the industry andconsumers will love what is to come,” he said.